"Reds will miss you!" - LeBron James salutes Jurgen Klopp following his shocking retirement announcement from Liverpool
LeBron James, a four-time NBA MVP and current LA Lakers star, is well-known for his love of sports. This can be seen with the amount of hard work he puts into remaining at peak physical form, but it has manifested in other ways, such as when he started giving his picks for the NFL's weekly matchups.
Aside from being a master at basketball and a huge American Football fan, it turns out that James also pays attention to the other kind of football, otherwise known as soccer.
He is a well-known supporter and is even a minority owner of English Premier League club Liverpool FC. He has been seen wearing the team's uniform and has even been seen at a few of their games at Anfield.
As a minority owner and, more importantly, a fan, he took the time to send a message to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who announced Friday that he was stepping down at the end of the season.
"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND MORE!!" James wrote on X. "You are one helluva manager and you'll never be forgotten and more importantly YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!! The Reds will miss you!!"
To punctuate the post, LeBron James also added the folded hand emoji, which could be interpreted as a sign of gratitude or respect, a simple high five for the German coach, or maybe even all of the above.
Appointed in 2015, Klopp won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup with Liverpool. The team could find more success this season, as the Reds play Chelsea in the League Cup final on Feb. 25.
Also read: LeBron James NBA All-Star Appearances: What year did LA Lakers star miss the All-Star game?
When did LeBron James become a minority owner for Liverpool?
In 2010, during LeBron James' first season with the Miami Heat, Fenway Sports Group, or FSG, bought Liverpool FC from Tom Hicks and George Gillet. A year later, James entered into a business partnership with FSG. This business partnership led him to own a 2% minority stake in the English soccer club.
Initially, his shares with the team were estimated to be around $6.5 million, but that amount has grown exponentially due to the club's success and prestige. James has displayed that he has fantastic business acumen, and this is another evidence of that.
Additionally, he is living one of the ultimate sports fans' dreams of calling themselves an owner of their favorite sports team or club.
What are LeBron James' other investments?
Aside from partnering with FSG, James has collaborated with big-time brands like PepsiCo and Walmart and signed a lifetime deal with Nike. "King James" is one of the brand ambassadors for Beats by Dre and shot a commercial for the company along with Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
James also invested in the fast-food chain Blaze Pizza in 2012 and remains a part owner today.
He has founded his own business, known as SpringHill Company. A production company that has worked on films like "Hustle," starring Adam Sandler, and "Space Jam: A New Legacy," which starred LeBron James himself.